Four Seasons Resort Landaa Giraavaru

Once in Male, Four Seasons staff members shuttled us to the other side of the airport, a bustling hub of seaplanes. We were placed in a small nondescript lounge (there was a new lounge under construction which will be much nicer) and waited just over an hour for our seaplane. The flight itself was only 25 minutes.

The GM and several of his staff were at the LG marina to greet us and kick-off our 5 night stay. We were given a brief tour of the property along with a fantastic welcome drink (ginger, lime and honey) and then driven by buggy to our room, a beach villa with plunge pool. The room was quite large 1475 sq. ft. inside and 2799 sq. ft. outside with a 40 ft. plunge pool and a short sandy path to a private bale, our own white sand beach and the ocean. There was also a lovely loft with a daybed which proved to be the spot in the room with the best ocean view. The bathroom was a highlight featuring beautiful pre-cast concrete, an indoor rain shower, a large outdoor shower, and an enormous, edgeless bathtub. While these units were spread far apart and afforded a good deal of privacy to begin with, it is interesting to note that most of the walls around our compound were made of dense shrubs. We had requested a unit with more privacy and so we were given #225 which had very thick vegetation, but the thicker the vegetation, the less view you have of the ocean. There were beach villas with less vegetation, so just advise them of your preference before arrival. Lastly, villas 223 thru 229 had the best access to good snorkeling.

The service at Landaa Giravaavaru was absolutely fantastic. The staff members were all genuinely friendly and always knew us. For the few we hadnt met yet, they had ways of asking for our room number without asking for our room number. Where shall I send the confirmation? or Where can I reach you?. The net effect was that even though there were well over 100 rooms at this property, we never felt like just a room number. The staff were always forward thinking, catching things before they became a problem and answering questions before we knew to ask them.

The dive shop and water sports center were very impressive. Besides the obvious advantage of having all new equipment, they offered nice touches like complementary loaner rash guard shirts for snorkeling. The centerpiece of the facility was a clownfish hatchery, where guests could watch Nemos in various stages of eggs, and fry, when they develop their characteristic stripe. The Four Seasons was helping setup and train locals on the use of hatcheries which will put them on the zero impact path of the aquarium trade. There was also a friendly marine biologist that worked in the water sports center, accompanied guests on guided dives and snorkel trips and offered nightly fish talks.

The spa was an enormous complex, made up of overwater platforms for daily yoga and meditation classes, overwater bungalows for massages and large, elaborate ayurvedic pavilions with their own private relaxation area, plunge pool, steam and outdoor showers. I opted for a 2-hour Shirodhara (2 therapists and a deluge of oil) and a lovely bit of henna art on my hands and feet.

One of our favorite activities at Landaa Giravaavaru was the private sandbank picnic. We worked with the activities manager to create a custom itinerary, including choice of boat and meal. We played with bottlenose and spinner dolphins, went to a handful of snorkeling spots and then stopped for lunch on a deserted island. The food was fabulous, and there was a special surprise in the way they set up the table (which we wont divulge). Lets just say the details were handled very well.

On our last night, we had a candlelight dinner in the courtyard of our room. The dinner was included in our romance package and it was very nice, with each of 4 courses individually served. But there wasnt anything special about it. If we were at an Aman, there would be more than one candle candles would be lining the perimeters of the courtyard and floating in the pool.

Unfortunately, after 5 perfect nights, we had to report a theft on our day of departure. When we emptied the safe, we noticed that our USD and Euros were gone. It wasnt a lot of money and the thieves were kind enough to leave our jewelry, passports and credit cards. The guest manager and head of security were very gracious and professional, but it just goes to show you